“Palm” Sunday

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Music plays. “All glory, laud, and honor to you Redeemer King!” The people are joyfully joining in the chorus as they wave their palm branches in the air. A little girl is using hers to tickle the ear of the person in front of her. He turns around with drunken resentment only to crack a smile when he sees the precious toothless smile of the girl who did it.

We confess together. “Oh Lord, hear our confession and we ask for your forgiveness.” Silence. Deafening silence as drug addicts, alcoholics, those in recovery, volunteers, and the pastors bring before God the weight of their sin. Shoes shuffle around on the floor as they raise their heads to receive good news: “Your sins are forgiven.”

The children leave with their palms in hand and they head to the basement for Sunday School. They laugh as they sword fight with them on the way out of the sanctuary. The congregation smiles before hearing the Word of the day. The Lord who enters into Jerusalem, humble and on a donkey, fulfilling a century-old prophecy. Pastor stands up to expound on the reading, exclaiming, “Things are not always as they seem!”

The children come back from class and sit in the pews, listening to the Words of Institution. The preparation for the salvific meal given to all who believe in the Lord. “Take and eat, take and drink, the true body and blood of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.” A blessing is given and people depart back to their seats.

Except for one.

The little girl with the sense of humor. She holds in her hand the craft she made in Sunday School. She extends her arm and says, “This is for you, pastor! Its palms.”

And indeed it was. Glued to a popsicle stick is a green paper silhouette of her hand. A “palm” branch. Truly, things are not as they seem.

How fitting that I would receive a palm branch in the shape of a hand. After all, the hands that held palm branches are the same hands that will yell, “Crucify him!” in five short days. The hands that wash feet, perform miracles, and touch the sick are the same hands that will bleed as they are nailed to the cross. There are hands that are open at the Lord’s Table, both giving and receiving every Sunday. The hands that are outstretched as they shout, “Hosanna! Save us now!” receive salvation from the only Hand that can truly offer it.

The hand that takes ours and walks with us in the valley of the shadow of death. The hand that holds each of us, protecting and providing. The hand that will raise us on the Last Day. The pierced hand, the palm of Christ Jesus who saves.

Hosanna in the highest.